Grand Valley was ranked 44 in the region -- up from a ranking of 50 in the same category last year. The rankings are based on a combination of statistics, including freshman retention rate, graduation rate, class sizes, student to faculty ratio, percentage of full-time faculty, standardized test scores, incoming freshman high school class ranks, acceptance rate and alumni giving rate.
The results show Grand Valley's commitment to educating students to shape their lives, their professions, and their societies. The university contributes to the enrichment of society through excellent teaching, active scholarship, and public service.
Grand Valley was ranked 2.9 on a scale of 5.0 by its peers. The freshman retention rate was 80 percent and average graduation rate was 50 percent; 26 percent of Grand Valley's classes have fewer than 20 students, while only 6 percent of classes have 50 or more students. The student to faculty ratio is 18-1, and 86 percent of Grand Valley's faculty are full-time.
"We're always proud to be recognized for our academic excellence at Grand Valley, and we're happy that our U.S. News & World Report ranking went up this year," said Gayle Davis, interim president and provost. "We are always striving to bring an excellent education to our students at the lowest cost to them. It's good to have that hard work acknowledged."
